Biointeractions at the nanointerface

European Commission; Canada; On-site; CAD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university in Canada is seeking a motivated researcher for a PhD project in tissue engineering. The role involves creating biopolymeric scaffolds and conducting experiments to enhance tissue regeneration. Ideal candidates will have a background in biotechnology or biomedical engineering and a passion for research.

Qualifications

• Experience in nanotechnologies and biotechnologies.
• Academic training in nanomedicine, colloidal physics, biotechnology, or biomedical engineering.

Responsibilities

• Synthesize polymers for scaffold creation.
• Evaluate performance through assays and measurements.
• Collaborate on bioprinting and drug screening.

Skills

Research

Engineering

Biotechnology

Nanotechnology

Team Spirit

Scientific Curiosity

Education

PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences

PhD in Chemistry

PhD in Biomedical Engineering

Job description

Biological sciences » Biological engineering

Technology » Materials technology

Organisation/Company: Université de Montréal

Research Field: Biological sciences » Biological engineering; Technology » Materials technology

Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2); Leading Researcher (R4); First Stage Researcher (R1); Established Researcher (R3)

Country: Canada

Application Deadline: 31 Dec 2025 - 22:00 (UTC)

Type of Contract: Temporary

Job Status: Full-time

Offer Starting Date: 1 Jan 2026

Funding: Not funded by an EU programme

Research Infrastructure: No

Offer Description

Tissue engineering has revolutionized medicine by combining principles of biology, materials science, and engineering to create functional tissue constructs for repairing or replacing damaged organs. It addresses the critical shortage of donor organs by offering safer, personalized alternatives with reduced immunogenicity. Engineered scaffolds infused with cells and growth factors promote tissue regeneration, enabling enhanced wound healing and reconstruction of bone or cartilage. Additionally, tissue-engineered models serve as physiologically relevant platforms for drug discovery, toxicity screening, and disease modeling, reducing reliance on animal testing.

Advances in biomaterials have improved scaffold biocompatibility and degradation profiles, ensuring optimized cell integration and tissue formation. Developing biomaterials as scaffolds remains challenging due to the need for precise mimicry of the native environment, controlling mechanical and chemical properties, ensuring biocompatibility, and achieving appropriate porosity and architecture for nutrient transport and cell infiltration. Preventing adverse immune responses and infection is also crucial.

This project will leverage laboratory expertise in engineering bioinspired polymers to create multi-component biopolymeric scaffolds for tissue engineering. The approach involves replicating the fibrillar nature of the extracellular matrix (ECM) using biosourced fibrillar materials such as cellulose nanofibrils. Interactions between fibrils will be controlled using engineered polymers mimicking scaffold proteins like aggrecans. Additionally, adaptor proteins will be engineered to immobilize and release growth factors and adhesion cues in a controlled manner. These materials will be formulated for 3D bioprinting and tested in biorelevant contexts, including cancer cell spheroids for high throughput drug screening and microvascularized organ-on-chips for drug testing.

The candidate will synthesize polymers necessary for scaffold creation and evaluate their performance through rheological measurements, biocompatibility assays, and cell proliferation assays. Collaboration with researchers in bioprinting and drug screening will be essential to demonstrate feasibility.

Funding category: Public/private funding

PhD duration: Approved for the duration of the PhD

PhD title: PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences/Chemistry/Biomedical Engineering

Country: Canada

The applicant must be highly motivated by research and engineering. Desired qualities include experience in nanotechnologies, biotechnologies, nanomaterials characterization, a multidisciplinary research interest at the interface of bioengineering and physics, experimentation enthusiasm, proficiency in English, team spirit, and scientific curiosity. Academic training should be in nanomedicine, colloidal physics, biotechnology, or biomedical engineering. Experience in microsystems design or microfabrication is a plus but not mandatory.